Atomizer



NOV 14, l933 c. J. LAGERHOLM ATOMIZER Filed March 28, 1930 3, za 2032 f J0 300129 27 20e MM lNVENToR BY una?? m f M ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,935,571 A'roMlzEa Application March 28, 1930. Serial No. 439,633

22 Claims.

This invention relates to atomizer construction and more particularly to an apparatus, adapted to be carried by the user, for vaporizing and spraying perfumes. l

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a simple, practical and compact construction for vaporizing perfumes, and the like. Another object is to provide an apparatus of the abovementioned character that will be of strong and durable construction, of efficient action when in use, and capable of being conveniently and readily placed in the pocket, purse or bag of the user. Another object is to provide an atomizer construction capable of convenient operation when in actual use. Another object is to provide an atomizer of the piston-operated type in which the operating mechanism may be automatically locked in ineffective position in a thoroughly practical, reliable and simple manner. Another object is to provide a construction of the above-mentioned character in which the release of the operating mechanism, for manual actuation, may be quickly and dependably effected in a simple and thoroughly practical manner. Another object is to provide an apparatus of the above-mentioned character that will be well adapted to meet the varying and hard conditions of practical use. Other objects will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts as will be exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of various possible embodiments of my invention,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device in closed condition, certain parts being shown in central vertical section;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional View, as seen along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a central vertical sectional view of the device shown in opened condition and with 15 certain parts extended, ready for manual operation;

Figure 4 is a top view, as seen along the line 4-4 of Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view, as seen alongrthe line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing and more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, there is generally indicated at 10 a container made preferably of sheet metal and preferably elongated in transverse cross-section, as appears clearly from Figure 2. The top 11 of the container 10 has a substantially centrally positioned round opening with which is alined a cylinder 12 in which a piston generally indicated at 13 (see now Fig. 3) is to operate. As appears from Figure 3, the lower end of the cylinder 12 is closed, conveniently by the bottom mem.- ber 12a of the cylinder 12. I'he upperv end of the cylinder 12, which may be made of sheet metal tubing, is sealed, as by soldering, to the top member 11 of the casing 10.

The interior of the cylinder 12 is thus sealed off or separated from the interior of the container l0 and into the latter is placed the liquid to be vaporized or sprayed, such as perfume.

In the top member 11 and to the right of the cylinder 12, as viewed in the drawing, is an opening for introducing the perfume or the like into the container 10; preferably this opening is formed by an interiorly threaded collar 15 soldered to y the top member 11 and adapted to be closed by the threaded plug generally indicated at 16, the latter having a threaded portion 16 and a knoblike operating portion 16b which projects above the plane of the top 11 of the container 10, also a cylindrical guiding portion 16C.

Through the top member 11 and to the left of the cylinder 12, as viewed in the drawing, projects a metal tube 17 (see Figure 3), the tube 17 extending downwardly into the container 10 to a point in proximity to the bottom 14 thereof. The upper exposed end 17a of the tube 17 may be suitably shaped or restricted to form a nozzle or jet through which the liquid from the container 10 may be discharged in a manner more clearly described hereinafter. Adjacent to the jet 17 is a short tube 18 extending through the top 11, forming a Vent to permit more convenient filling of the container with the liquid, allowing the escape of air as the liquid is poured through the lling opening 15.

A tube 19 (see Figure 3) extends from the lowr or discharge end of the cylinder 12 upwardly through the top member 11 of the casing and is thereupon bent, as at 19a, into proximity to the upper end of the jet 17a so that, when the down- -ward movement of the piston 13 takes place a stream of air is blown out of the tube 19 and substantially across the jet 17a, thus drawing liquid upwardly in the tube 17 and causing the spraying or diffusion of the liquid as rapidly as it is drawn upwardly and out of the tube 17.

The piston 13 is adapted for manual actuation and is secured to the lower end of a plunger or piston rod generally indicated at 20 (Fig. 3), the latter having a threaded lower end portion 20b adapted to receive a nut 22 between which and a washer 23 the piston proper 13a, taking the form of an inverted cup-shaped leather washer, is securely clamped. Preferably, also, a sheet metal member 13b is interposed between the leather member 13 and the nut 22, the member 13b having a suitable number of spring arms adapted to yieldably hold the side wall portions o! the leather member 13a in non-leading coaction with the cylinder walls during the dow'n stroke of the piston 13 when the air in the cylinder 12 is expelled through the tube 19.

The piston rod 20 `has a portion 20El of polygonal cross-section, preferably of square crosssection (see Fig. 5) and this square portion 20a is adapted, when placed in alinement with the square opening 24 of a cap-like member 25 that is threaded into the upper and otherwise open end of the cylinder 12, to permit the piston rod 20 and parts associated therewith to be moved upwardly, from the position shown in Figure 1 to the position shown in Figure 3, by the action of a spring 26 that is interposed between the bottom end wall of the cylinder 12 and the piston 13, the washer 23 acting to limit the upward movement by coming into engagement with the threaded member 25, as is clearly shown in Figure 3.

The square portion 20a of the piston rod or plunger 20 is of such a length that, when the piston 13 has reached substantially the end of its downward stroke, as viewed in Figure 3, the square portion 20a has passed downwardly v through the square hole 24, assuming substantially the position shown in Figure 1, and there has been brought into juxtaposition with the .walls of the square hole 24 a round portion 20c (Figs. 1, 3 and 5) of the piston rod 20, this round portion 20c having a diameter substantially equal to the dimension of a side of the square hole 24. Thus the round portion 20c, assuming a position of substantial tangency to the sides of the square hole 24, as appears clearly from Figure 5, holds the plunger 20 and associated parts in proper alinement with the axis of the cylinder 12.

The upper portion of the plunger 20 is preferably formed by a member having a threaded shank 20e threaded into the upper end of the portion 20a and a knurled head or operating portion 20I with a substantially round or cylindrical portion 20g therebetween (Figs. 1 and 3); the cylindrical portion 20g of this member is passed through a suitable opening centrally positioned in the upper wall of a cover member 27, these two parts intertting so as to permit relatively free relative rotary motion therebetween.

Relative vertical Adisplacement Abetween the plunger 20 and the `cover 27 is prevented by means of an inverted cup-shaped sheet metal member 28 (Figs. 1 and 3), the latter having its bottom wall 28a (Fig. 3) securely clamped between the portion 20K and the portion 20C,

A part of the upper peripheral wall of the cup-shaped member 28 is cut away throughout an extent of substantially 90, as from the point A (see Fig. 2) to the point B, so as to receive a lug 29 which is secured on the'under side of the upper wall of the cover 27. The relative rotary displacement between the piston rod 20 and the cover 27 is thus limited by the extent of this cut-away portion and is preferably limited to 90.

Extending about the portion 20B (Figs. 1 and 3) is a coiled spring 30, one end 30a (Fig. 1) of which is secured to the lug 29 and the other end 30b (Fig. 3) of which is anchored in asuitable opening in the side wall of the cup-shaped member 28. This spring is tensioned so that it tends to rotate the cover 27 and the plunger or piston rod 20 relative to one another.

The cover 27 is, as above noted, of substantially the same shape in cross-section as the container 10 and its side walls 27a thus form substantially an'upward extension of the side walls of the container 10, when the cover 27 is substantially alined with the casing 10, the knurled operating member 201 projecting through the upper wall of the cover 27. The side walls 27a are thus shaped to encompass the filling cap 16 and also the jets 17a and 19a and the vent 18. The left-hand portion of the cover 27, as viewed in Figure 1, carries suitable means, such as a block of relatively yieldable rubber 31, adapted to come down upon the jet 17a and the vent 18 and thus effectively close these outlets against leakage of liquid from the container. l

Considering now the operation of the device, the parts, when in closed relation, assume the positions shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5 from which it will be noted that the cover 27, elongated in cross-section, rests against the top wall 11 of the container 10, encompassing with its side walls the filling closure 16 and the above-mentioned jets or outlets, the rubber block 31 sealing the latter as above pointed out; this inter-relation of these parts holds the cover 27 against rotation out of alinement with the container 10 while the spring 30 has been eiective to rotate the plunger 20 and its associated parts so that the square portion 20a thereof is out of alinement with the hole 24 in the cap 25 (see Fig. 5) andv thus the spring 26 (Fig. '3), now compressed, is ineffective to raise the plunger 20 and with it the cover 27.

With the parts in this position, all of the working mechanism is fully enclosed and thus well protected.

When it is desired to use the device, the knurled operating member 20t is manually rotated against the action of the spring 30 to bring the square portion 20a into alinement with the square hole 24, the plunger or piston rod 20 is thus unlatched and the spring 26 (Fig. 3) is permitted to expand to raise the piston 13, the plunger 20, andthe parts carried thereby, into the position shown in Figure 3. As soon, however, as the upward movement of the plunger 20 has been suiiicient to carry the cover 27 clear of the plug member 16 (Figs. 1 and 3), the spring 30 is effective to rotate the cover 27 through 90 from the position shown in Figure 2 to the position shown in Figure 4, thus positioning the cover 27 transversely of the container 10.

The device is then held in one hand with the bottom 14 (Figs. 1 and 3) resting upon the thumb and with two ngers resting upon the cover 27, each nger engaging the upper surface portion of the 'cover 27 to one side of the knurled member 20f. The plunger may thereupon be depressed, whence it is` returned by the spring 26, and the reciprocation of the piston 13 repeated as many times as is desired, the piston 13 forcing the air out of the tube 19 and across the jet 17a with the action as explained hereinabove.

Upon terminating the use of the apparatus, the plunger 20 is depressed by pushing down on either the knurled member 20t (Fig. 3) or by pushing cross-section, the opening in the top oisaid con-hv down on the cover 27, the cover 27 being manually rotated in clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 4, from the position oi' the latter figure to the position shown in Figure 2. Continued downward movement oi' the parts brings the cover- 27 over the various jets and over the closure 16, the rubber member 31 (Fig. l)v closing the jets and the square portion 20 of the plunger 20 passing through the hole 24 in the cap 25. The spring 30, having been tensioned by the rotatable movement given the cover 27, is then effective to rotate the plunger 20 through an. angle of substantially 45 and into the position shown in Figure 5, thus locking the parts in closed position. The plunger is prevented from being moved through an angle of by a downwardly projecting stop 3 2 (Figs. 5 and 3) preferably formed integrally with the cap member 25; against this stop 32 a side face of the square portion 20l of the plunger 20 abuts, as will be clear from Figure 5.

The parts are thereupon ready to be again operated, the knurled operating member 20f being operated through the angle of substantially 45 to bring the square portion of the plunger again into alinement with the walls of the hole 24, whence the operations above described may be repeated.

Preferably the low end of the spring 26 (see Fig. 3) is anchored or secured, in any suitable manner, to the bottom member 12"L of the cylinder 12, and the upper end of the spring 26 4is anchored or secured to the lower end of the piston rod or plunger 20, the spring being tensioned so that it ,tends to rotate the piston rod 20 into the position shown in Figure 5, thus acting to assist the spring 30 in swinging the square portion 20B of the plunger 20 into a position where it locks the parts against upward movement. It is to be understood, however, that I may, if desired, relieve the spring 26 from taking part in this rotating action since, as will be clear from what has been said hereinabove in connection with spring 30, the latter may alone achieve the desired rotation of the plunger 20. i

The downward extension 16c of the lling plug 16 has an outside diameter slightly less than the inside diameter' of the threads in the collar 15 and it serves, when the illlin'g opening in the collar 15 is to be closed, to quickly aline the threaded portion 16 of the plug 16 with the threaded collar 15, thus making it possible to quickly catch the threads and drive the plug home.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided in this invention an apparatus in which the several objects hereinabove pointed out, together with many thoroughly practical advantages, are successfully achieved. It will be seen that the apparatus is of compact and durable construction and of dependable action and that it is well adapted to meet the conditions of hard practical use.

As many 'possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth, or shown in the accompanying drawing, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

l. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a container elongated in cross-section and having an outlet jet at one end of its top; a cylinder within said container and substantially at the center thereof, said cylinder having a piston therein and a piston rod of non-circular tainer through which said rod extends of a shape permitting said piston rod to pass through A it in one angular position of said piston rod and preventing such passage at another angular position oi said piston rod; a spring tending to force said piston and rod upwardly; a iilling aperture and removable closure therefor positioned in the top oi' said container on that side thereof remote from said jet; a cover member adapted to flt over the top of said container and enclose said jet and said closure; said cover being rotatably carried by said piston rod; a spring connection between said cover and said piston rod adapted when said cover is in closing position with said rod below said opening in the top of the container to rotate said rod to such angular position that the rod cannot pass through said opening; and means extending through said cover for rotating said rod to permit said spring to push the latter upwardly.

2. AIn apparatus of the character described, in combination, a container for liquids having a discharge jet and being of elongated cross-section, said container having. a cover member for said container of substantially similar elongated shape; means including a reciprocable piston for eilecting discharge of liquid from said container in vaporized form; a plunger having said piston secured thereto at one end and having at its other end a pivotal connection with said cover member; means for locking said piston at the ini ward end of its stroke; spring means for swinging said cover member substantially transversely of said container; and means for preventing swinging thereof when said piston is in locked position.

3. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a container for liquids having an outlet jet in a wall thereof; a cylinder carried by said container and having a piston therein; a piston rod for operating said piston and extending through said wall of said container; a spring tending to move said piston rod outwardly of said cylinder.; a member carried by said rod for closing said jet, said member and said rod being relatively rotatable; and means operable upon a rotation of said piston rod relative to said member when the latter is in jet-closing position for locking said rod against operation by said spring.

4. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a container for liquids having an outlet jet in a wall thereof; a cylinder carried by said container and having a piston therein; a piston rod for operating said piston and extending through said wall of said container; a spring tending to move said piston rod outwardly of said cylinder; a member carried by said rod for closing said jet, said member and said rod being relatively rotatable; and means responsive to the positioning of said member in jet-closing position for locking said piston rod against actuation by said spring, said means being releasable by subsequent relative rotation between said member and said piston rod.

5. In apparatus ofthe character described, in combination, a container for liquids having an outlet jet in a wall thereof; a cylinder carried by said container and having a piston therein; a piston rod for operating said piston and extending through said wall of said container; a spring tending to move said piston rod outwardly of said cylinder; a member carried by said rod for closing said jet, said member and said rod being connected to permit relative displacement therebetween; spring means for effecting relative displacement therebetween when said member is in jet-closing position; and means responsive to said relative displacement therebetween for locking said piston rod against actuation by said spring. f

6. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a container for liquids having an outlet jet in a wall thereof; a cylinder carried by said container and having a piston therein; a piston rod for operating said piston and extending through said wall of said container; a spring tending to move said piston rod outwardly of said cylinde'r; a member carried by said rod for closing said jet, said member and said rod being connected to permit relative displacement therebetween; and means responsive to relative displacement therebetween when said member is in jet-closing position for holding saidl member in the latter position,

7. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a container for liquids having an outlet jet in a wall thereof; a cylinder carried by said container and having a piston therein; a piston rod for operating said piston and extending through said wall of said container; a member carried by said rod and adapted when the latter is in inward position to close said jet, said member and said piston rod being relatively rotatable; and means adapted upon relative rotation therebetween when said member is in jetclosing positionfor preventing actuation of said piston rod.

3. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a container for liquids having an outlet jet in a wall thereof; a cylinder carried by saidv container and having a piston therein; a piston rod for operating said piston and extending through said wall of said container; a member carried by said rod and adapted when the latter is in inward position to close said jet, said member and said piston rod being relatively rotatable; means for locking said piston -against actuation and operative upon relative rotary displacement betwen said member and said piston rod; and means preventing relative rotary movement from taking place until said member is subl stantially in jet-closing position.

9. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a container for liquids having a discharge jet and elongated in cross-section; a plunger-operated piston and cylinder inl said container; a member rotatably carried by the outer end of said plunger and being in cross-section substantially like the cross-section of said container and adapted normally to lie in substantial overlapping relation to said container; and spring means for swinging said member transversely of said container to permit engagement thereof by two ngers of the hand, each on one side of the plunger.

10. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a container for liquids having a discharge jet and elongated in cross-section; a plunger-operated piston and cylinder in said container; a member rotatably carried by the outer end of said plunger and being in crosssection substantially like the cross-section of vsaid container and adapted normally to lie in substantial overlapping relation to said container; releasable means for holding said plunger in inward position with said member in alinement with said container; and means adapted upon actuation of said last-mentioned means in releasing direction to swing said member transversely of said container.

11. In apparatus of the character described,

in combination,.a container for liquids having a discharge `iet and elongated in cross-section; a plunger-operated piston and cylinder in said container; a member rotatably carried by the outer end of said plunger and being in cross-section substantially like the cross-section of said container and adapted normally to lie in substantial overlapping relation to said container; releasable means for holding said plunger in nward position and said member in alinement with said container; and a spring tending to swing said member transversely of said container.

12. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a container for liquids having la discharge jet and elongated in cross-section;

a plunger-operated piston and cylinder in said container; a member rotatably carried by the outer end of said plunger and being in cross-section substantially like the cross-section of said container and adapted normally to lie in substantial overlapping relation to said container; releasable means for holding said plunger in inward position with said member in alinement with said container; spring means for holding said releasable means against release and tending to swing said member transversely of said container; and means allowing swinging of said member only after actuation of said releasable means in releasing direction.

13. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a container for liquids having a discharge jet; a cylinder and reciprocable piston for effecting discharge through said jet; a spring for moving said piston in one direction and for opposing movement in the other direction; means including a member movable relative to said piston for facilitating manual movement of said piston in opposition to said spring; spring vmeans adapted to be tensioned upon relative movement between said movable member and said piston; and latching means for said .piston and controlled by said spring means.

14. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a container for liquids having a discharge jet; a cylinder and reciprocable piston for effecting discharge through said jet; a spring for moving said piston in one direction and for opposing movement in the other direction; means including a member movable relative to said piston for facilitating manual movement of said piston in opposition to said spring; spring means adapted to be tensioned upon relative movement between said movable member and said piston; latching means for said piston and actuated by said spring means; and means facilitating actuation of said latching means only when said piston is at substantially the end of its stroke.

15. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, an elongated container for liquids having a discharge jet; means including a reciprocable piston for effecting discharge from said container; means including a piston rod and a member projecting to either side of said rod and in one position of said member to either side of said container, each portion being adapted for engagement by a finger, for actuating said piston; means carried by said member for closing said jet; means for holding said member in jet-closing position; and means operative upon release of said member for swinging it substantially transversely of said container.

16. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a container for liquids having a discharge jet, means including a reciprocable piston for eiecting discharge from said container zoV through said jet, a piston rod for said piston having a portion of non-circular cross section, a member having an opening through which said non-circular portion of said rod may pass in a limited number of angular positions only, and a spring for rotating said rod automatically operating after the non-circular portion thereof has passed through said opening.

1'7. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a container for liquids having a discharge jet, means including a reciprocable piston for effecting discharge from said container through said jet, a piston rod for said piston having a portion of non-circular cross section, a member having an opening through which said non-circular portion of said rod may pass in a limited number of angular positions only, said member being positioned so that'said non-circular portion of said rod passes therethrough at a certain point in the stroke of said piston, spring means for rotating said rod, and means preventing said spring means from effecting rotation until after said point in the stroke of said piston has been reached.

18. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a container for liquids having a discharge jet, means including a reciprocable piston for eiecting discharge from said container through said jet, a piston rod for said piston having a portion of non-circular cross section, a member having an opening through which said non-circular portion of said rod may pass in a limited number of angular positions only, a device for closing said jet, and means controlled by the position of said device for effecting rotation of said rod after the non-circular portion thereof has passed through said opening to move it into such position that it will not pass through said opening.

19. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a container for liquids having a discharge jet, means including a reciprocable piston for effecting discharge from said container through said jet, a piston rod for said piston having a portion of non-circular cross section, a member having an opening through which said non-circular portion of said rod may pass in a limited number of angular positions only, a device for closing said jet, means controlled by the position of said device for effecting rotation of said rod after the non-circular portion thereof has passed through said opening to move it into such position that it will not pass through said opening, and means preventing rotation of said rod until after said non-circular portion thereof has passed through vsaid opening.

20. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a container for liquids having a discharge jet and being of elongated cross-section,

vsaid container having a cover member of sub- 4locking means for moving said piston, plunger,

and cover member outwardly and for swinging said cover member substantially transversely of said container.

21. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a container elongated in cross section and having an outlet jet at one end of its top; a cylinder within said container and substantially at the center thereof, said cylinder having a piston therein and a piston rod of non-circular cross section; the opening in the top of said container through which said rod extends being of a shape permitting said piston rod to pass through it inone angular position of said piston rod and preventing such passage at another angular position of said piston rod; a spring tending to force said piston and rod upwardly; a iilling aperture and removable closure thereof positioned in the top of said container on that side thereof remote from said jet; a cover member adapted to fit over the top of said container and enclose said jet and said closure, said cover being rotatably carried by said piston rod; and a spring connection between said cover and said piston rod adapted when said cover is in closing position with said rod below said opening in the top of the container to rotate said rod to such angular position that the rod cannot pass through said opening.

22. In apparatus of the character described, in. combination, a container for liquids having a discharge jet; a cylinder and reciprocable piston for eiecting discharge through said jet; a spring for moving said piston in one direction; means including a member which when moved relative to said piston releases said piston; additional spring means adapted to be tensioned upon said relative movement between said movable member and said piston; and additional separate latching means for said piston controlled by said springl means and urged into latching position thereby.

CARL J ULIUS LAGERHOLM. 

